Rising Stars
by rock-star-vt
Summary: Post-FFX. This is a story about life, death, love, revenge, and most importantly, growing up. Check it out if you want something different and dark. R&R Please.
1. Default Chapter

Prologue

Hey, what's up?

This is a prologue for Rising Stars, a post FFX action-adventure fic.  Before we get started, here's a couple of things you should know:

1.Eighteen years have passed since the defeat of Sin and the Eternal Calm began.  This story is about the children of our beloved heroes, but that doesn't mean that the parents won't be deeply involved. I want to try my hand at something fresh, and something that hasn't been overdone before.

2.Spira has grown tremendously over the past years, and is more Earthy in a couple of ways.

3. Kimahri turned homosexual.  (That was a joke, BTW!!)

4. Tidus is back.  A couple of the Fayth decided to dream his part of the dream, in appreciation for him allowing all of them to rest peacefully.

5.Tidus and Yuna are married, big shock eh?  Lulu and Wakka have also tied the knot and have been happy together.  

6.The government of Spira is a form of democracy.  There are ten seats in an Assembly with a representative from each of the following states:  Besaid, Kilika, Luca, Djose, Guadosalam, Macalania, Bevelle, Al Bhed, Zanarkand, and Gagazet.

7.There is a Grand Marshall who resides over the Assembly.  He or she has very little peace-time power, but is more of an figurehead.  Yuna carried this position for ten years.  If you want to know how this government came to be, check out my other fic, Fallen Heroes.  It explains everything.

Okay, now onto some other stuff:

1. Tidus and Yuna are happily married, with two children.  Lulu and Wakka have had another child.

2. Rikku married Judda, I guess she always went after the athletic type.  They have a fourteen year-old daughter.  Rikku, however was not as lucky to have a happy marriage.  She went through a particularly rough divorce about the same time she resigned from the Assembly.

3. Zanarkand has been rebuilt.  Although it is not the city it once was, it is big enough to rival Luca these days.  New Home has been relocated to the Calm Lands.  Even though it was once primarily an Al Bhed city, it is bustling with activity from all types of cultures.

4. There is no world-wide religion anymore.  Yevon has been completely disbanded.  The temples still stand, but more as a warning sign for any other attempted world-wide religion.

5. Spira has been at relative peace for sixteen years or so.  Trouble, however is brewing quickly.

So that brings us up to date.  So without further ado, I present "Rising Stars," for your reading pleasure.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

It was cold.

Wherever he was, it was very cold.  He tried to move his head to look to his sides, but fear kept his muscles frozen.  Afraid of what, he didn't know.  It was dark too, wherever he was.  His eyes couldn't make out anything more than a few feet ahead of him, as darkness seemed to encase his entire world.  Both fear and numbing cold paralyzed his body.  However he was experiencing something even worse than that: he felt alone.

He was also very wet.

Something had gone wrong, he was sure of it.  He had no memory of what it was.  But something had gone terribly wrong, and someone had died.  

As much as he wanted to, he couldn't move, or even cry out for help.  Fear was all over his body, surrounding him with its dark and cold arms.  He knew somebody familiar was nearby.  He wanted to reach out to _her?_  But even so, he never felt more alone in his life.

Yes, something had gone terribly wrong.  

Yes, somebody had died.

Struggling against the swirling darkness around him, he looked down into his hands.  He shuddered at the sight of what his eyes were telling him.  Now there were two things that he was sure of: 

Somebody had died, and there was a black pistol in his hands.

Terror gripped his system as he realized that the numbing darkness was enveloping him more as he sank downward.  

"Gavin," someone called out.

"Gavin," it said again.  Something shook him.  Suddenly the darkness that seemed to have no end in sight, erupted into bright light that scorched his retinas.  

Gavin then jumped up in a seated position and opened his eyes to the bright Besaid afternoon sun. "Ahh," he exclaimed, his body still in shock by what his mind told him was the truth, or was it?

"You all right?" the young feminine voice called to him. 

He then jerked his head to the right to see his sister, with a worried look on her face.  "Yeah," he haphazardly replied.  "I think I just had a weird dream," he slowly admitted, slowly relaxing his muscles in the loose sand.  After a moment's hesitation, he reached up and swiped a strand of brown hair out of his multi-colored eyes.

"Hmm," came his sister's reply.  "You lazy bum."

"Shut up Lex," he replied, reaching his arm out and pushing her backward and watching her fall to the sand.  He then started laughing, obviously putting his weird nightmare behind him for the time being.

"Hey," Alexis replied, biting her lower lip as she kicked him in the leg.

Gavin apparently took no notice of the retort as he eased his body back down on the hot beach. "So is there any reason why you decided to wake me up?" he asked, listening to the sound of a gull cry somewhere off in the distance and enjoying the late-afternoon sea breeze.

"Yeah," she chirped in.  "Mom told me to get you.  Dinner's ready."

"Already?" Gavin asked rising back to a semi-sitting position, propping himself on his elbows.  He quickly glanced at the sun, determining what time it was and how long he slept.  "Why so soon?" he said after figuring out that it wasn't all that late.

"Mom and dad are going to that meeting remember?" Lex replied.

"Ah," Gavin said.  "I forgot," he admitted.  "What kind of meeting is it?" he asked, not really expecting his sister to know.  He was strangely curious though.

"I don't know," she responded.  "Adult stuff.  We don't need to know," she said.

"Who said that?" Gavin asked, suddenly defensive.

"Dad," she answered.  "I already asked him what it was about."

"I should know," Gavin said after a few seconds of silence.  "I'm an adult too,"

Alexis burst out laughing at his statement.  She then pointed her finger at him, and laughed even harder.  "You're only fifteen," she said.  "You're not an adult."

"I'm more of an adult than you," he said.

"Yeah, whatever," she responded, pulling herself to her feet.  "You're still a child."

"Am not," Gavin said, getting irritated.

"Are too," she said. 

"If I am, then what does that make you?"

"I don't know, but I don't care."

"There you two are," a soft but still collective voice trickled down towards them.  Both teenagers turned their attention to a figure standing on the roadway that led back to the main part of the village.  Tidus stepped out of the path and onto the beach, looking at his two children.

"Hey dad," Gavin said turning around.

"I told you to hurry," Tidus said, addressing Alexis.  

"I know," she responded.  "But he was asleep, and it took me five minutes to wake him up."

"It did not," Gavin said, shooting a hateful look her way.

"Come," Tidus said, brushing his hair out of his blue eyes.  "Dinner's getting cold."

With that, Gavin rose to his feet and turned to follow his dad and sister, who was already bounding out in front, back to the town.   

-------

"Its about time," a middle-aged female voice floated to him as soon as he entered the hut.  "Your dinner is getting cold."

"Sorry mom," Gavin said looking at his mother.  "I forgot you were fixing food this early today."

"He was asleep on the beach," Alexis said with a smirk on her face.

"I was resting," he responded as he took his seat.  Yuna, walking by him to sit at her designated place at the table, put her hand on his head and then ruffled his brown hair just a bit.

"Mom," Gavin said, ducking out of the way.

"You lazy bum," Yuna said smiling while sitting down.

 Silence ensued as everyone began eating there tasty, but slightly cold dinner.  This is how it had been for many years now, and Yuna couldn't be happier.  Since the downfall of the Luzzu regime, the United Government of Spira had been overhauled.  Yuna, much to the dismay of Tidus and some of her close friends, decided to accept the position of Grand Marshall to the Assembly, and was re-elected for a second term.  Spira loved Yuna, and she loved it back.  She took the position because she "felt it was the right thing to do."  The next ten years turned out to be a struggle between running a new world, a life, and her newfound family.  

She gave birth to Gavin roughly a year into her regime.  The child was supposed to have great expectations set for him.  He was the son of the Grand Marshall, which beforehand had been a High Summoner.  He even had her eyes, one being green and one being blue.  He was also the son of a great blitzball player, and soon thereafter a great blitzball coach.  Tidus played for four more years, winning a championship with the Aurochs for three of those.  After that, he took a role as assistant coach to his friend Wakka, who had been heading up the team ever since he stood down as a player.  Tidus then stepped down from that position a few years later.  It wasn't that he disliked Blitzball, he rather enjoyed it actually.  He just didn't want to be active in the sport with his son becoming playing age.  He didn't want to raise his son the way he had been raised.  Gavin did play the sport, but because it was his choice to, and not because of any of Tidus' influence.  Yes, Gavin indeed has a great legacy, but oftentimes he thinks as it more of a curse than a blessing.  And he wasn't even the only blitzer in the house.

Alexis was born about a year and a half after Gavin was.  She is by all accounts, a daddy's girl.  She has his blue eyes and his blonde hair, which she wears longer than Tidus ever did.  She has full intentions of joining the Aurochs next year.  Truth be known, she is actually better than Gavin is, and she lets him know about it constantly.  She has her father's flare for the dramatic and presence in the sphere pool.  She takes after her dad in many, many more ways than just athleticism.

"So what kind of meeting is this that you two are going to?" Gavin asked, not really to break the silence, but just because he was curious. 

There was a bit more silence, and Tidus and Yuna waited for the other to go ahead.  After enough wait, Tidus took the initiative.

"Political meeting."

"Ah," Gavin said.  "A town meeting with Letty."

"Yeah," Tidus said, before taking another bite of food, satisfied with the answer he had given.

"Is it about Kilika?" Gavin asked.

Tidus and Yuna glanced at each other quickly before Yuna responded.  "Yes," she said.  "Were trying to figure out what to do."

"If there is anything we can do," Tidus chipped in, almost correcting her.

"I see," Gavin said, turning his attention back to his food.

"All done," Alexis proclaimed pushing her plate away from her face.  She hopped up out of the chair and proceeded to turn down the hall to her room.

"Lex," Yuna said.  "You haven't finished."

"Mom," she said, not even bother turning around.  "You know I don't like those yucky green things."  She marched on down the hall to her room.

"Well," Yuna began.  "I was going to tell you some good news, but since you seem so eager to get away from the table I guess it will have to wait."

"What good news?" Alexis said, turning her attention back towards her mother.

Yuna smiled as she just said "Oh, nothing."

"Mom," Alexis whined back.  "Please??"

"Okay," Yuna said, giving in.  "Guess who is coming to town to visit for a few days?"

"Well I don't know," Alexis responded, stomping her feet in disgust.  "Who?"

"Guess," Yuna retorted. 

"I don't know," Alexis said, shrugging her shoulders.  "Kimahri?"

"Nope," Yuna said.  "Rikku and Celeste."

Alexis practically hit her hands on the ceiling as she bounded in excitement.  "Yay!!" she exclaimed.  "What time will they be here?" she asked in a rush.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Yuna replied, smiling at her daughter's enthusiasm.  Alexis and Celeste were best of friends, even though she lived at New Home and Alexis resided in Besaid.

"Yay!" she said again, turning and walking into her room, forgetting completely about the yucky green stuff.

Gavin waited a few more minutes before saying anything, picking at his food to pass the time.  "What do you think will happen?"  he said slowly.  "With Kilika?"

"We don't know," Tidus said.  "Hopefully nothing."

It was widely known now that Kilika had decided to withdraw from the Assembly as of two weeks ago.  However it all started with Zanarkand.  The city had been rebuilt since Sin was vanquished.  It was truly grand with its skyscrapers stretching high into the sky and the white stone of the buildings reflecting in the sun.  It was pretty magnificent, considering it had been in development for only fifteen years now.  However, it was a heap compared to the Zanarkand that Tidus remembers.  He had been asked many times by city planners what his Zanarkand was like.  It was obvious that the world wanted Zanarkand to be the legendary city it once was a thousand years ago.  Without the threat of Sin, maybe it could.  Tidus could care less. 

Zanarkand was now seen as a city of opportunity.  Thousands of people flocked there and started their own businesses, trying to live a life of freedom they had always heard about.  Some succeeded, some didn't.  But still, Zanarkand was the place to be.  The worry among parents now wasn't that Sin would come up, and snatch their children away from them, but rather the lack of opportunity in their hometown would send the next generation to the city by the sea, where opportunity was always abound.  Also, where in lied opportunity lied great temptation.

Due to this, Zanarkand was on track to be the City of the World.  Recently, its citizens began to think so as well.  It started with a motion to move the Assembly's headquarters from Bevelle to Zanarkand.  When the motion was dismissed, many felt that it was a direct slap in the face.  Soon thereafter a war of words began.  Zanarkand representatives felt that they were not getting the respect they deserved.  The Assembly thought that they had enough presence as it were.  Zanarkand said that it didn't need the Assembly.  Later it proved that it didn't, by withdrawing it's chair on the board.

The world was furious.  "How dare they," some had said.  Others had said many worse things than that, laced with plenty of four letter words.  But it all boiled down to the fact that they left because they could, and that there was nothing nobody could do about it.  When the draft for the Assembly of Spira was concluded, nobody had ever thought that a city had to be involved.  If a city or town wanted any say in the world they _wanted_ to be involved.  It never even crossed anyone's mind that a city would withdraw.  Nobody thought of it, so there were no safe guards against it.

Within the last year, Luca decided to follow suit.  Their alliance with Zanarkand was clear, at least so it seemed.  They were both naval cities, and both could easily produce open trade with each other.  Since Zanarkand had withdrew, many towns and cities chose to not trade with the giant in the north.  Luca decided that if it were the city's only supplier, then there was a lot of money to be made.  It seemed good on the outside, but many wondered if there was more than what meets the eye.

All of this had happened well after Yuna had stepped down.  Truth be known, she could have easily been re-elected for a third term.  But she wanted out of the limelight.  She didn't want to bestow great expectations for her children.  Truthfully, she just wanted to be with them more.  Since working as the Grand Marshall, it required most of her time to be spent in Bevelle.  She decided that she didn't want her children to be growing up without her.

But now, the world seems to be setting itself for disarray, as two weeks ago Kilika decided to drop out of the Assembly, for reasons not yet known.

That's why the meeting tonight is crucial.  Kilika is Besiad's closest neighbor, and the Besaid Representative Letty was coming back and holding a town meeting do discuss what stance to have.

It truly was an interesting time.

-------

"Are you ready?" Tidus called.

"Yes," Yuna's voice trailed to him from down the hall to their room.  He turned in time to see her emerge and walk his way.  Yuna was wearing a pink and purple dress that resembled the dresses that she wore on her fateful pilgrimage in what almost seemed like another life ago.  Although age had caught up with her some, she was still a pretty lady at this point in her life.  Her hair had some pretty obvious gray to it now, and her face had been etched with wrinkles as well.  Tidus felt a smile crept up across his face.  Yes, this attire was more Yuna of now.  Although he remembers distinctly a time when she wore much, much less than that in public.  Yuna quit wearing her Al Bhed-inspired attire shortly after her inauguration as Grand Marshall.  Something inside her decided that it was not the best idea to be showing your legs in their entirety when you were the figurehead for the world.  After giving birth to Gavin, her dress became even more modest.  Now what she wears does in fact seem like what she would have worn the day she fought Sin.

"What are you smiling at?" she asked as she walked into the room.

"Old times," Tidus responded.

"What kind of old times," she asked reaching in for his hand.

"Something about a big ugly thing called Sin," he responded.

"Hmm," she started.  "Those kinds of old times."  She leaned in and kissed him quietly on the cheek.  "We should go before we're late," she said.

"Hey," Tidus said.  "I was waiting on you."

"You always have to wait on a lady," she said smiling at him.  "You know I remember some old times as well."

"Really?" he said, as if it were the most interesting things he said all day.    

"Yeah," she whispered.  "About a promise you kept."

"Which one is that?" he asked, pretending to not know the answer.

"Always," she whispered, letting her mind drift back to that night at Macalania Lake.  Back then she was naive to many things in the world; and so was he, but then again he was from a different world.  Tidus' hair was wild back then, to suit is brash demeanor.  The Tidus before her now was a lot more calm and collective and rational about things, a trait defined by age.  He had a few more traits defined by age, such as some now obvious wrinkles, and the way his hair was cut. It was still bright blonde, but not wild and flowing everywhere as it used to be all the time.  It was tamer, just as he was.  It gave him the look as if he were some kind of middle-aged blonde businessman, instead of the brazen hero that he was once upon a time. But still, whenever she looked into those eyes, she felt as if she could see directly into his soul, seeing some of what he once was, and what he is now.  She was now returning his smile.

"Kids," she said turning her head back down the hallway.  

"What," she heard Gavin respond.

"We're gone.  We'll be back in a few hours.  Stay out of trouble."

"Sure," Gavin said, devoid of any emotion.

With that, they walked out of the hut and down towards the Towne Square.

-----------

"I really have no idea what they're going to do," a voice came down and reached approximately forty adults' ears.  

Tidus and Yuna were seated somewhere near the front of a large meeting room.  Tidus was watching Letty intently.  The politician seemed nervous himself.  Letty had given up blitzball for politics nearly sixteen years ago.  When Yuna initially stepped aside as Besaid Island Representative to the Assembly, it was Letty that took her place.  Many felt that he was incompetent, but he was well liked by the islanders and had a certain amount of charisma to him.  He also did something that most surprised most people: he cared about the island and its inhabitants.  Letty is one of the few representatives who holds weekly or bi-weekly meetings with his constituents.  There they would talk about the affairs of Spira, what's in Besaid's interest, or just have a decent conversation.  Tidus can only remember one "emergency meeting," before today.

As Tidus watched the athlete-turned-politician as he was informing the crowd of the state of Spira, he noticed that age had finally caught up with him as well.  His hair was mostly gray with streaks of black, instead of the other way around as it seems it should be.  This was evident now as he spoke.

"They didn't even give an official word," he continued.

"Then what happened," someone from the crowd asked.

"Their representative didn't show up at one meeting," Letty answered.  "He just didn't show up.  And when we called Kilika headquarters, the only response we got was 'I'm sorry, but we've decided to go another direction with the government of our island'."

"What do you think they're going to do?" another person called out.

"I have no idea," Letty answered.  "They expressed no intentions of doing anything this brash," he continued.  "But I can say one thing," he paused before adding "they still are actively trading with Luca and Zanarkand."

This produced  a series of muttered, and some not-so-muttered cursing from more than a few Besaid citizens in the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Letty said, trying to control the spillway of emotion.  "Let's be calm about this."

"What do the citizens of Kilika feel about this?" someone asked out brashly.

_That's a good question,_ Tidus thought to himself.

"There's been no official word," Letty answered.  "But there is reports of most of the citizens being just as mad as everyone else.  Remember, the citizens of Zanarkand wanted to form their own world, but it seems as if the citizens of Kilika never wanted to follow that trend.  There has even been reports of some uprising in the town, although that could just be rumors."

"Like Avenger," Tidus heard a familiar voice call out.  Letty just laughed at that question.

"Avenger is a bunch of kids trying to play a game," Letty said.  "Under the rules of war and peace they should be alright.  But I don't consider them any real piece of the puzzle."

_Avenger_, Tidus' mind recalled.  _Where had he heard that before?_

"But the purpose of this meeting is not to talk about some kids trying to be heroes, its about what are we to do as an Island.  Now I don't know about you, but the idea of Kilika joining the alliance of Luca and Zanarkand doesn't thrill me.  Think about it, what are our two closest cities?" he asked the crowd.

_Luca and Kilika_, Tidus' mind lulled.

"Whose to say that these two cities wont approach us and ask us to join their alliance," Letty said.

That prompted an outbreak of more curses and expletives from the crowd.  

"Ladies and gentlemen," Letty started, getting a slower reaction this time from the crowd.  "Ladies and gentlemen," he repeated.

Finally the crowd quit their grumbling for now.  Tidus felt rustling to his right.  He turned in time to see Yuna, now perfectly standing, wishing to be recognized by the chair.

"Lady Yuna," Letty said looking in the direction of her. "What do you have in mind."

"This is ludicrous," she said blatantly, so harshly that it struck Tidus off-guard.  "If Kilika goes, then whose to say that New Home wont as well, or maybe Gagazet."

"The Ronso have no intentions of leaving the Assembly," Letty replied.

"But you see my point," Yuna said.  "Now that Kilika has defected, whose to say that someone else won't.  Maybe Zanarkand, Kilika, and Luca are forming a government of their own.  Is it with hostile intentions?  What would happen if they seduced more towns and cities to their cause?  Then they could form their own Assembly, with their own rules, and their own laws."

Someone else spoke up from the back.  "What would happen in two, or five years?" this person asked.  "Would Bevelle and Besaid be the only two cities left in the Assembly?"

This drew a murmur from the crowd.

"I did not work so hard," Yuna started.  "And so long, and see the hard work of others even in this room, to be put to vanity just because some cities have a big ego.  This must be put to a stop," she said, her words speaking the finality of her thoughts as she sat back down.  She had said her piece.  

And this was how the meeting started.

------------

A few hours later…

"But I don't think so," Tidus said.  They were now walking in the pleasant night back to their hut, and discussing the events of the day.  

"Don't you see what's happening?" Yuna asked him.

"Yes," he started with a sigh.  "But that doesn't concern us does it?"

"What do you mean that doesn't concern us?" she asked ruefully.  "What do you think will happen if some other country decided to join their cause?"

"I know," Tidus replied, turning the corner to their hut leading her home.  "But why do we have to do anything."

"Because this could spiral out of control," Yuna answered.  Tidus noticed a hint of pleading in her voice.  He didn't like it one bit.

"I know it could," he said.  "But why do we have to do anything about it?"

"What?" she asked, now obviously puzzled.

"Us Yuna," he said.  "Why do we have to do anything about it?  Why should we take care of this problem.  Let the rest of Spira handle it."

"Tidus," Yuna said slowly.  "I don't understand."

"I mean that we've taken care of the world.  We've saved it twice: once from Sin and once from itself.  Let's let the world take care of us for once.  You know," he said, tapering off at the end.

"No I don't," Yuna responded.  "I don't understand you Tidus.  You used to be so more active in things like this.  You were always the one to rush in where warrior monks fear to tread, just because it was the right thing to do.  We had an entire planet's religion calling us traitors, but still you pressed to go on."

"I know," Tidus responded hesitantly. "It's just that the last time we were involved in anything, I said that there would be no more fighting, and that we could live happily ever after.  And I meant that."

Yuna paused and smiled, reminiscing that day in what seemed like an eternity ago.  "Tidus," she started, staring at his face in the moonlight outside their hut.  "It's not like last time.  It's not like we're going to go fight an army like we did.  It's not like we're going up against Sin either.  We're just supporting a just cause, right?"

"I guess," Tidus said not really enthusiastically.  He started walking up the steps to their hut when he turned and said "Let's talk about this some other time."

"Okay," Yuna responded, leading him inside.

Alexis had already turned in, thinking that blitzball practice was coming too early tomorrow.  She also was excited that Celeste was visiting.  She reasoned that the best way to deal with her impatience was to sleep it off.  Tidus noticed that there was a light on in Gavin's room though.  He walked that way and tapped on his door.

"Yeah," Gavin responded. 

"Can I come in?" Tidus asked.

"Sure," he said.

Tidus walked in and saw his son lying in bed reading a book.  

"How was the meeting?" Gavin asked.

"Just like most," Tidus responded.  "A lot of talk and not a lot of action."

"Boring then, huh?" Gavin assumed.

"Well, I wouldn't say that."  After a pause Tidus continued.  "What time do you want me to wake you up tomorrow?  For practice?"

After what seemed like a long hesitation, Gavin finally broke his gaze from his dad, saying: "I don't think you will have to."

"What?" Tidus asked, knowing exactly what his son was trying to tell him.

"I think I'm gonna quit the team," he said slowly.

"Hmmm," was Tidus' only reply.  "It doesn't shock me that much.  But why now?  At the beginning of the season?"

"It's just that," Gavin started, not exactly sure how to proceed.  "I worked so hard all off-season in shooting, passing, and my endurance, but I just didn't get any better.  I just," he said, sighing.  "I just can't live up the family name."

"Hey," Tidus said sitting down on his bed.  "I don't want you to live up to the family name.  I never really wanted to force you to play blitzball."

"I've noticed," Gavin said, putting his book down.  "You quit coaching after I was old enough to start practicing."

"That's because I was forced to play young," Tidus started.  "I had a tough family name to live up to also, and I never wanted that to happen to you.  If you were going to play, it was because you wanted to, and nothing to do with me."

"Because of my grandfather," Gavin said aloud.

"Yeah," Tidus admitted.  "My old man."

"I wished I had met him," Gavin said, kind of uncomfortably.  

"I don't know if you would like him that much," Tidus admitted.  "Most of his life.  He was too interested in girls, booze, and blitzball.  The Abes was everything to him."  

Of course he was referring to the Abes of back in the day and not now.  Sometimes Gavin completely forgot that his dad was from another 'dream' world of eons ago.  _More to live up to,_ he thought absently.

"But he was a good man," Tidus continued.  "At the end."  He paused before continuing.  "He was more of a father and a good human being his last few years than he was most of his life.  He may have had his shortcomings, but in the end he was a good man."

"Hmmm," Gavin said.  "I would still like to meet him."

A wry grin appeared on Tidus' face.  "Ya never know, he always had a penchant for returning from the dead."

"What?" Gavin said, a little freaked out by that whole notion.

"Just kidding," Tidus said.  "I think he's perfectly happy on the Farplane."

"Oh," Gavin said, obviously relieved.

After a few moments had passed, Tidus stood up to walk out the door.  "You know," he said, turning back to his son.  "You should at least wake up and go to practice and tell Coach Wakka."

"Aw Dad," Gavin said.  "Can't you tell him?  He's you're best friend."

"Nope," Tidus said.  "This is something you're gonna have to do."

"Okay," Gavin responded subtlety. 

"Night,"  Tidus said, walking out and closing the door behind him.

And another night in Besaid came to an end.

Author's notes:

1-Sorry this is so….ummm…damned descriptive and wordy.  A lot has happened in the last 18 years since we've actually seen our heroes.  For lack of better words, they've grown up, and so has Spira.  I promise, the next chapter will feature more action-type stuff, and then it's gonna take off on a fast, but still dark, ride.  Yeah, darkness=good stuff.  Expect plenty of darkness in the next 20-30 chapters.  

2-Yeah, 20-30 chaps.  This thing is gonna be HUGE, which means I'm gonna need people along the way to tell me how good/bad of a job and give me recommendations!  (This reads, review, and tell me what ya think!!)  I'd appreciate it greatly.

3-Just so you know, our heroes AREN'T taking a back seat.  They will be deeply involved in various ways.

4-FYI, Squaresoft owns everything, even my soul!!


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

There was an obnoxiously loud knock on his bedroom door.  For some reason, he knew exactly whom it was and what he wanted to talk about.  Gavin rolled over drowsily in his bed and pretended, futilely, that if he would ignore it long enough it would go away.

"Hey Gavin," the voice called out from outside his room.  "You in there bro'?"

Gavin sighed, accepting defeat. He then raised up slowly out of bed and grabbed a shirt off of his floor.  After a quick smell, he decided it was clean enough to wear.  "Yeah," he grumbled, still dreary from his sleep and absently wondering vaguely what time it was.  He then threw his shirt on and kicked himself out of bed. "Hold on Cadel," 

Gavin opened his door to find a sixteen-year-old muscular guy with short black hair standing in front of him.  He was about three inches taller than Gavin and had eyes as dark as coal, something he takes after his mother.  Probably the only thing he takes after his mother.  He was wearing a blitzer's pair of shorts with a sleeveless shirt, showing off his large arms.  He was also holding a blitzball in his right hand.

As soon as Gavin opened his bedroom door Cadel threw the blue ball at him.  Gavin, although caught off guard, snatched it easily.  

"I heard you quit the team," he said, obviously getting straight to the point.

"Yeah," Gavin said.  

"Now why'd you go and do a thing like that for?" Cadel asked, crossing his arms in front of his muscular chest.

"Because I'm not as good as you," Gavin said, throwing the blitzball at him.

"Well," he replied spinning the ball on his fingertips.  "Not many people are."

"Shut up," Gavin said, slapping the ball onto the floor.  He then broke out in laughter as he watched it roll down the hallway and out the front door.  

"Go get it," Cadel instructed.

"You," Gavin responded with a smile on his face.  "It's your ball.  And if you haven't noticed, Blitzball isn't really my thing anymore."

"Yeah," he replied turning and walking towards the front door.  "What does your dad think about this?"

"Dad doesn't care," Gavin responded, following his friend down the hallway to get his precious blue ball.  

"That I don't understand," Cadel started.  "You've got a great blitzer as a dad, and he was a good coach too.  Everyone says you have a great blitzer as a granddad too, even though that was a thousand years ago.  Heh, ya know, your blitzball heritage goes back a century, and still you quit the team."    
Gavin didn't respond to that.  "Oh…." Cadel started turning back around and stepping outside the door and shielding his eyes from the bright Besaid sun.  "Sorry."  
One of the many conversation these two friends has had before is that Gavin doesn't really like his "heritage."  Not that Cadel doesn't have a prestigious heritage either, it just that it seems as if he lives up to it, and Gavin doesn't. 

Gavin and Cadel stepped out of the hut into the hot afternoon sun.  "Where's my blitzball?" Cadel asked, looking around frantically.

"Is this it?" he heard a cool voice answer him from his right.

Gavin turned and saw a teenager named Vicks standing in a strange imposing manner.  He was leaned up against a hut out of the sun's wrath.  His black and red speeder was parked behind him, humming silently.  He was holding the missing blitzball.

"Vicks," Cadel exclaimed.  "Ya, that's it"

Vicks casually tossed him the ball without showing any signs of enthusiasm at all.  Vicks was seventeen, two years older than Gavin, and a year older than Cadel.  He had cold gray eyes and silver hair that he kept down to his shoulders.  Gavin knew by experience that more often than not, Vicks was bad news.  Although he never had any real problems with him, he had heard of others getting into scuffles with him.  Vicks was always the loner, never depending on friends or family.  He was also the most rebellious kid on the island, never heeding to authority or giving in to superiors.  This, and his stubbornness had often caused him to get into fights growing up.   He had always been like this, as long as Gavin can remember.  The last conversation the two of them had, Vicks had expressed interest in "Getting off this damned island and going to Zanarkand, where the real world was," as soon as he turned eighteen.  Gavin suspected there was something else keeping him here other than his "legal" age.  Gavin also suspected he knew what it was.

"Hey Gavin," he said in his normal cold fashion, fixating his gray eyes on him.  "I heard you quit the team" 

"Yeah," he responded, with as little emotion as possible.

"Letting the family down aren't you?" 

"Not really," Gavin replied, not feeling the need to go into the details.

"Speaking of family," Vicks continued.  "Is Lex home?"

That, was what Gavin suspected was the real reason why he wasn't leaving the island so soon.  Gavin had noticed that Vicks has spent a lot of their conversations asking about his sister, and it wasn't the general 'How's she been,' topic.

"No," Gavin responded.  "She went to meet…"  Suddenly a bad feeling swept over him, as if he forgot something very important. "Oh no," Gavin said, his head slouching forward.  "She went to the docks to meet Aunt Rikku and Celeste."

"Hmm," Vicks said with an amused grin on his face.  "It seems to me like somebody forgot something."  

"Come on," Gavin said to Cadel as he turned and made a run for the beachhead.

---------

"Ya know," Cadel started after a few minutes of running side by side with Gavin.  "You got good endurance," he said in between breaths.  Gavin stepped to the side to avoid a tree limb that had crashed in the road.  He then doubled his efforts, pushing his legs faster and faster towards the beach.

"Out of my way," Vicks voice called from behind him.

Gavin turned to see Vicks on his black and red speeder bike coming up the wide trail at an alarming speed.  He was one of the few "fortunate" ones on the island who could afford to have one of those.  It looked as if he was riding a black bullet up the sandy road behind them.  The closer and closer he got Gavin noticed that he showed no intentions of slowing down.  Within seconds he was right upon him.

Gavin jumped off of the trail into the woods on the right, rolling a few feet before stopping next to a tree stump.  He heard the distinct sound of Vicks laughing and muttering some other words as he sped by him.

"Punk," Gavin said bitterly, slowly getting to his feet and wiping mud from his face.  

"You alright over there?" Cadel called out to him.

"Yeah," he replied bitterly, "Just fine."

Gavin found his way back to the road and he paused to look over the crest of the hill.  The road before them gave way to the beach, and much more of Besaid.  Gavin often heard his mom and dad say that it wouldn't surprise them if the town itself actually extended all the way to the beach by the time they got old.  It hasn't done that yet, but Gavin could see where it may go that direction.  

He quickly strained his eyes off to the right.  The old dock area had been completely overhauled and almost exponentially grown.  Instead of one pier, there were ten.  At the base, closer back to the trail was a large pad designated for Airships.  Gavin casually glanced in the other direction, where he saw a huge Blitzball stadium sticking out against the blue sea background.  It had been built shortly after the defeat of Sin, and every year it had been expanded due to the Auroch's success.  A small knot appeared in his stomach at the sight of the stadium.  He shifted his gaze back towards the airpad.  He strained his eyes more and he saw the Rekfert had landed, with many people congregated around it.  He also saw the black shape of Vicks' speeder heading that way.

"Lets go," Gavin said, running again down the hillside.

Gavin raced forward until he was about thirty meters away from the small gathering of people before slowing down to catch his breath and collect himself.  His gaze fell on Vicks, who was eagerly talking away to his sister Alexis.  Gavin swallowed hard and looked in the direction of the newcomers.  He saw his dad Tidus, with his arms crossed in front of him laughing at some kind of joke.  His mom Yuna was next to him, a big smile gracing her face as she was eagerly talking away.  To her right was…

"Gavin," an excited voice called out.  "There you are!  I was just asking your mom where you were."

"Hey," he responded waving his arm at the Al Bhed as she was bounding down his way.  "How's my favorite nephew?" Rikku asked as she rushed down the slope towards him and engulfed him in a big hug.  "I think you've grown since I've seen you last," She said, not giving him a chance to answer her question.  "Why I think you're taller than me now."  Gavin noticed that he was indeed taller than his mother's cousin.

"And Cadel," Rikku said, turning her attention to the black-haired adolescence behind him.  "You're looking more and more like your father everyday."

"Thanks ya," Cadel said, mocking Wakka, his father's, island accent.  That drew a laugh from the crowd, the loudest voice coming from Wakka himself.

"Get up on here boy," Wakka said in the newcomers direction.  "Join the party ya?"

Gavin found himself chuckling as he walked up to the rest of the crowd.  

"Hey Gavin," a soft feminine voice trailed out.

He turned his attention to Vicks, Alexis, and a tall girl with long, shiny, blonde hair.  She had been chatting with Lex most of the time, with Vicks only getting a few words in edgewise.  This girl was Al Bhed, even though she didn't wear any of the trademark attire or eye goggles.  She almost looked like a native of the island, except for her skin, which was outrageously pale compared to the tan of Besaid natives.  

"Hey Celeste," Gavin called out.

Celeste was Gavin's cousin-once removed, or something like that.  Her mom and his mom were cousins, even though they often acted like sisters.  He wasn't exactly sure what relation that made Celeste to him, if anything at all.  Celeste looked remarkably like her mother Rikku in the face.  The biggest difference was her height.  She was a good six inches taller than her mom, taking that aspect after her father.  

Shortly after peace was restored to Spira, Rikku started dating Judda, the star athlete of the Psychs.  It seemed like a good match on the surface, a star athlete and a high ranking politician.  However, after a quick marriage, the honeymoon turned sour quickly.  They had a child, Celeste, and they soon thereafter split.  Judda had started drinking more and more since the Psychs were losing more and more.  That made her uncomfortable with an infant in the same house.  Even to this day Rikku says that her ex-husband is a guy "who thinks that he's 25, good-looking, and a star athlete, even though he is far from all three."

Tidus has seen Celeste's father a few times this year.  The more and more he thinks about it, the more that he sees similarities to his own father, back in the Zanarkand years.  Just that thought makes him feel some sort of pity towards Celeste.  Celeste still loves her father, but his continued drinking makes her feel uncomfortable to even visit him.  Even though she does love her father, she loves her mother more.  Not only are Rikku and Celeste mother and daughter, they are best of friends, often relying on each other in the tough years that have passed.  They even look more as if they were cousins, more maybe aunt/niece than mother and daughter.  Most of that is due to Rikku, who doesn't look a day past twenty-five, when age has seemed to creep up steadily on everyone else.

"I heard you quit the Aurochs," Celeste's voice trailed to him as he walked their way.

"Yeah," Gavin said looking down.  _Why does everyone in Spira say those exact same words?_ he thought to himself.  "I just didn't get any better over the off-season.," he continued, tripping over the words.

"Because he doesn't want to be on the team next year when I join," Lex corrected.  "And everybody will know I'm better than he is"

"Yeah," Gavin said sarcastically.  "That's it."

"Don't do something you don't want to," Celeste remarked.

"It's because he's weak," Vicks chipped in, with a smirk on his face.    
Nobody paid any attention to that remark, as Lex turned and grabbed Celeste's hand.  "Come," she said starting down the path.  "I've got this new blitball that's just so awesome and you just have to see it,"

"Where are you two going?" Yuna asked as they continued to walk off.

"We'll be around," Lex replied.  She then quickened her pace so her and Celeste could get away from the "old folks" and their "boring talk."

"Shame you quit ya?" Wakka said looking at Gavin, who did not meet his gaze.  "You coulda been good, maybe even betta than ya ol man here," he said, putting a hand on Tidus' shoulders who was standing next to him.      

"I don't think so," Gavin responded slowly.  

"Yeah," Vicks said, stepping towards his speeder, his obligations ultimately done here now that the girls were gone.  "But at least you could've tried."  He then hopped on his speeder and turned it on, smiling wickedly as he felt the humming of the bike.  He accelerated a bit before stopping and turning back.  

"You still coming tonight?" he said.  Gavin was about to ask him what he was talking about when he heard Cadel answer behind him.

"Uhh," the athlete said, suddenly nervous.  "Yeah, I'll be there man."

Vicks then turned around and gunned the engine, flying down towards the beachhead and back to town. 

Gavin was about to ask a question, but Wakka took it right out of his mouth.

"What was dat about?" he asked, looking at his son.

"I, uhh, we're just gonna hang out some tonight," Cadel said as calm as he could.  

"Even wit company in town?" Wakka said, his disappointment showing through.

"Uh," Cadel stammered.  "We won't be long."

"Alright, just stay outta trouble," Wakka said, giving his consent.  Lulu, however, was still reluctant.  

"What are you two going to do?" she said, her cold eyes piercing straight into Cadel.

"I don't know," he stumbled, acting defensively now to his mom.  "We're just gonna hang out and make it up as we go."

Lulu then placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head, as she remained unwavering.  After a second's hesitation, she finally gave in.  "Alright, but do as your dad said and stay out of trouble."

"Alright," he replied, acting even more irritated and defensive.  "Come on," he said, turning to Gavin.  "Let's go."

_What the hell?_ Gavin asked to himself.

"Alright," Gavin said, taking a few tentative steps backward.  "See you back at the village."  He waved at his family before turning around and following Cadel down towards town.

After Gavin was sure that he was out of earshot of his and Cadel's parents he suddenly blurted out "What the hell was that about?"

"Oh you know," Cadel said.  "We're just gonna hang out, me and some of Vicks friends."

"I didn't know Vicks had any friends," Gavin said with a hint of spite in his voice.  

"Eh," Cadel replied.  "It ain't important.  Anyway, can I uh, ask you something man?"

"Sure"

"You think," Cadel started.  "Well…"  He paused for a few minutes before starting again.  "You think that you could you know, talk to Celeste.  I know she's your cousin or something like that and all, but I kinda think she's cute."

Gavin suddenly stopped in his tracks, with his eyes focusing ahead.  

"I mean," Cadel said hurrying his speech, sensing a change in demeanor in his friend.  "I know she's like your cousin and if you think that I shouldn't well…"

"What is that?" Gavin asked concisely staring ahead.

"What?" Cadel asked.

"That," Gavin said, pointing his finger on the road ahead.

Cadel turned his head and saw a dog-like creature stumble onto the sandy road.  It was staggering, hopping on three legs as if one was broken.  It was gray-colored with red eyes with long sharp fangs protruding from its mouth.

"I don't know," Cadel said, taking a tentative step forward.  "It looks hurt."

"Think it's dangerous?"

"It don't look dangerous," Cadel said, now stopping only a few feet away.  "It looks like somebody's pet."

Gavin still couldn't shake this feeling in the pit of his stomach.  "Think it could be a fiend?" he said, still confused at the animal before him.

"A fiend?" Cadel said, turning back to his friend.  "There hasn't been any fiends for years.  I don't ever remember any fiends.  And besides," he said, turning his attention back to the creature.  "I always thought fiends were you know, bigger?  More dangerous?  And I also don't think that..."

For Gavin the next few seconds seemed to take place in slow motion.  The animal pounced on Cadel, lunging for his throat.  Cadel, being taken completely off-guard, could only raise his hands in front of his face as fast as he could.  Gavin's feet pushed forward, seemingly moving on a mind of their own.  By the time it had taken him to cover three steps the beast had its fangs open, and its mouth going in the direction of Cadel's jugular.  Gavin pummeled his shoulder into both Cadel and the animal, sending all three in different directions and spiraling towards the ground.  When Gavin raised up he saw the beast had now turned its attention to him, snarling and showing its razor sharp fangs.

Gavin's heart felt as if it had stopped, anticipating the worst.  The animal hunched up and tensed its body as if it were going to attack.  Suddenly a fist came in and struck it right behind the head.  It let out a whelp as it turned and scampered out of the way.  The attacker, Cadel, then lunged his foot and caught it square in the ribs.  The beast twisted sideways and backed off a few feet.  Although it was injured, it still had some fight left in it.  It leapt at Cadel, only to meet the sandal of his foot as he kicked it in the sternum.  The animal then let out a last cry and ricocheted off into the bushes.

"You alright?" Cadel asked as he watched Gavin get up.  His gaze was still entranced on the animal, expecting it to get up and keep fighting at any moment.  "Yeah,"

Cadel started laughing as he walked over to examine the now thoroughly dead creature.  

"What are you laughing at?" Gavin asked, not taking any steps toward it.  

"That was the first time I got to use any of my training," he said.  "I guess it finally paid off, huh?"

Behind them Wakka's voice trailed upwards.  "What you two doin' huh?"

Gavin tore his gaze from the dead animal to see the group had decided to walk to the village anyway, and were now not too far behind him.  "There's some kind of animal," he responded.  

"What?" Tidus asked, quickening his pace a bit. 

"It attacked us," Gavin said.

"But we took care of it," Cadel said, obviously proud of the moment.  "I used my training dad."

"We'll I guess that martial arts stuff did pay off den'," he said taking a step towards the dead animal.  Suddenly what was left of the carcass exploded in a pyreflies.  Gavin was entranced in the bright yellows, blues, and white lights floating above his head.  He had never seen anything so mystical or entrancing in his entire life.  

"What…" he asked slowly, still mesmerized by the moving lights.

"Pyreflies," Tidus answered him.  "That means that what you defeated was a fiend."

"A fiend," Yuna said, concern overtaking her.  "Are you alright?" She then placed an obligatory hand on his shoulder to look him over.

"Yeah," Cadel answered for him.  "We handled it."

"Yep," Rikku chipped in.  "You guys have guardian blood running through you alright."  Gavin didn't tell them that it looked particularly wounded in the first place.  He also had a suspicion that Cadel wouldn't let that fact slip either.

"A fiend," Lulu pondered.  "I haven't seen one of those in about five years."

"You know," Tidus said as they continued walking toward the village.  "When I first arrived in Spira, this trail was littered with fiends."

"I know," Wakka said. "Er'yone had to learn how to fight ya?  Even at a young age."

"Yeah," Yuna said absently.  "I guess times have changed on us."

----------------

Gavin was sitting in a corner on the floor.  Part of him was enjoying this, but another part of him didn't want to be here.  It was well after dark as he was sitting inside the den in his house.  All the adults were sitting around casually talking after an extravagant dinner that Yuna had fixed for what seemed like half the village.  Celeste and Lex had retreated to Lex's room, "to do some girl talk about boys," being the official reason.  All of the adults gathered in the den, with Gavin crunched in a corner in the back.  Conversation had been going on for the better part of two hours now.  Part of him didn't want to be here, but he had no idea where Cadel was and he really didn't feel like hanging out with any of the team tonight.

"So what's this I hear about Avenger?" Rikku asked him directly.

"What?" Gavin asked in reply, having no idea what she was talking about.

"Yeah," Tidus said, shifting in his seat.  "They mentioned something about that name at the meeting last night, what is that?"

"I have no idea," Gavin said with a blank look on his face.

"Supposedly," Rikku started, "There's some kind of youth movement in Besaid against what's happening in Kilika.  A bunch of kids calling themselves Avenger."

"Really?" Yuna asked, her curiosity showing. 

"Yeah," Rikku replied.  "Ever since Kilika dropped out of the Assembly, they've been going over there and doing stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Lulu asked, now interested this part of the conversation.

"Kids stuff really," Rikku said.  "Sabotaging government machina, putting sand in the fuel tanks of government vehicles, stuff like that.  They always paint a red 'A' somewhere, to kind of mark their work."

"That's interesting," Yuna said.  "You sure it's kids?"

"We'll," Rikku started, "About Gavin and Celeste's age I guess.  That's what some eyewitnesses have said."

"Hmmm," Yuna said, putting her finger to her lips.  "That says a lot if a bunch of kids, ahem, teenagers are willing to step up to the Kilika oppression."

"A bunch of kids wanting to play heroes," Tidus said aberrantly.  

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Yuna replied.  "Weren't we all a bunch of kids wanting to play heroes once?"

"Yeah but that's different," Tidus said.  

"Ya," Wakka agreed.  "Time's different now.  Kids can be, well, kids can be kids ya know?  Don't have to be worrin 'bout fightin' and stuff."

"I agree," Tidus said.  

At that Gavin stood up and yawned.  "Tired?" Yuna asked him.

"Yeah," he replied.  "I'm think I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight," she replied, smiling at her son as he walked out of the room.

"See everyone tomorrow," Gavin said as he trudged down the hallway.  As he passed Alexis's door he could easily hear the girls talking eagerly about something.  That prompted him to remember what Cadel was trying to say before the fiend showed up.  He laughed to himself as he thought about Cadel trying to hook up with Celeste.  

_Where did he go_, he absently asked himself as he entered his room.  _What are he and Vicks doing tonight?_  Whatever it was, Gavin was sure that he didn't want to be involved.  With that in mind he shut off his light and crawled in bed. 

----------

Author's notes:

1.Whew.  Okay, this is probably the worst chapter for the readers (ie, all of you guys.)  I introduced FOUR characters in one chapter.  If you have any questions about them, let me know and I will try my best to answer them.  I only merely introduced them, loads of character development will come soon so you wont get lost.  But rejoice!  I only have one more character to introduce, and then we can move on to actiony stuff.  (Such as blitzball, fighting, death, dismemberment, and war!  Yes kids, there's gonna be another war!  *Smiles evily*)

2.To answer a question: SG, how good of you to point out my flaw!  Haha.  Actually there was a reason why I referred to Tidus as a great blitzer primarily.  This is from Gavin's perspective, who has to live up to Tidus' reputation.  Since he himself is (was) a blitzer, there is more pressure on him on THAT aspect of Tidus, instead of the hero thing.  But that pressure will build on him too.

3.Squaresoft own it all, except my characters.  HAHA, take that Square!

4.Just so you know, good to see everyone back from Fallen Heroes!  Thanks much everyone!


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